2019 Ford Escape
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 588 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 18th highest complaint count among 26 Escape model years with reports.
Of the 2019 reports, 24 involved a crash and 3 involved a fire. 28 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Equipment, electrical, engine block heaterJan 15, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.
Campaign 26V011000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, gear position indication (prndl)Jun 10, 2022
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.
Campaign 22V413000 on NHTSA.gov
TiresMar 10, 2021
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150, 2018-2020 F-250, F-350, and 2019 Escape vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.
Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S10.
Campaign 21V155000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: power train
125 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Mar 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently started reversing. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
Power train, Engine, Mar 10, 2025
Was driving car is 2019 and has 84802 miles and no issues and all of a sudden power train issue came on and car would barely drive. The dealer was rude and zero help and so was ford number. There are 96 complaints of the same thing that should fall under the campaign 22v413000. I had on my ford app that I was part of the csp but the dealer said I was not and would do nothing for me and now look I have the exact issue and now no one wants to take care of it and it is not a cheap repair. FORD should have to refund me this money ASAP!!!! Or do something because how do I know I won’t have more issues after I get this fixed. I bought this car brand new and also took it to dealer to get all oil changes and etc to make sure things were handled and they were not. Will not ever go back to that dealer. And not sure I will ever buy a ford again because of how I have been treated so far.
Power train, Feb 28, 2025
The transmission is damaged beyond repair at 90 thousand miles. This vehicle is always serviced at Ford truck city in Buda Texas. We are very very disappointed with the quality and service from FORD. This vehicle is at the same dealership been serviced in Buda Texas at the cost of $ $8,400 dollars. We have no choice but to get a loan to paid for. I am helping my granddaughter paid for, si she can go to college and work. This is very very difficult for us. HELP !!
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Feb 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, and the dealer replaced the transmission and the turbo; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to Advance Auto, where it was diagnosed with camshaft failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Engine, Feb 24, 2025
Cracked Flex plate/flywheel repaired under warranty less than two years ago. Flex plate/flywheel again loose and/or cracked requiring hours of labor to replace and out of pocket expenses.
Power train, Feb 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift gear as needed. The vehicle was taken for maintenance to the dealer and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on another occasion, the vehicle failed to shift gear. The check engine warning light illuminated with a knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer and diagnosed with gearbox failure. The vehicle was repaired for the most recent failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 96,167.
Power train, Feb 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the accelerator pedal failed to respond. The vehicle was stalling and jerking. There were no warning lights illuminated. An independent mechanic arrived at the residence to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed with CVT transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because the vehicle was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that if a warning light became illuminated, assistance would be provided with the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
Power train, Engine, Feb 9, 2025
My car will not drive. Power train light came on out of no where o was less than a mile from home and car keep going from 40 rpm to 5 rpm and would move hardly at all and then speed up. Car makes noise after turn it off like the csp. I have been told the CSP is not valid for me and this is going to be a very expensive repair up to $15,000. Can not believe Ford is not being held accountable for this
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 23, 2025
The 2019 Ford Escape (purchased new in December 2018) was taken to the Nick Mayer Ford (Mayfield Heights, Ohio where it was purchased) service department in August/September 2024 for a computer diagnostic analysis for a previous warranty recall/repair problems regarding short block replacement for coolant intrusion that was not performed/corrected several years prior in 2021 when only the turbocharger was replaced. The problem was excessive smoke being emitted at engine start back in 2021 when the only turbocharger was replaced and the problem reappeared in August 2024. Nick Mayer Ford had the vehicle for two weeks in August/September 2024 and provided neither a computer diagnostic analysis report nor repair of the previous recall/repair issues (2021) including no explanation/resolution of the problem. Currently, due to the previous undiagnosed/unresolved problems, the engine failed at 70,000 miles in December 2024 and the long engine block has to be replaced. The engine warning lamp was on at the time of engine failure. We are still paying on a car loan for the vehicle. References: 1. Ford Help Desk Assistance Claim Case# [XXX] on 12/5/2024 filed with Tanya E. for short block replacement for coolant intrusion. 2. Ohio Attorney General Matter Number [XXX] on 12/6/2024 filed with Ross. 3. Ohio Attorney General Consumer Complaint# [XXX] filed online on 1/3/2025.
Power train, Jan 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from being stopped at a stop sign, the engine revved; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the repair was not covered under recall or warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 107,972.
Power train, Dec 18, 2024
I was driving on my way home then all of a sudden my car wasn’t moving when I was pressing on the gas pedal. At first I thought maybe the energy brake was on but after checking that wasn’t the problem. My car just wasn’t moving when I hit the gas. I was stranded in traffic for a bit until I decided to turn off the engine and turn it back on. I was able to park it somewhere but the problem hasn’t been resolved and it doesn’t make sense for my car which I bought new in 2019 to be having transmission problems.
Power train, Engine, Nov 22, 2024
I purchased my 2019 ford escape 1.5 ecoboost almost 3 years ago and now without any common symptoms I have a manufacture fault caused coolant leak into my engine. To keep my vehicle in a safe driving condition I would need a new $10K engine replacement. Ford negligently did not recall the part that caused the issue.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Nov 19, 2024
Transmission failed at 59000 miles had it replaced and it’s failing again a year later
Power train, Nov 14, 2024
While driving once I exited off the highway the rpm gauge was going up and down before I could exit onto a secondary highway. If I would have continued on the highway and loss acceleration I would have been in danger as well as other drivers because I no longer had control of making the car move. All of a sudden, the car started to slow down and when I pressed the accelerator, the car jerked and would not accelerate so as I pulled over. After I pulled over, I could not get the car to move again and the accelerator would not work at all. Had to call a tow truck. Towed to dealership. Dealership called 2 days later to tell us the transmission needed to be replaced.
Power train, Oct 29, 2024
The contact's son owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal loud sound. The contact stated that the failure persisted while driving. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the flex plate was fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: SSM48725. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
Power train, Oct 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 40-45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving; however, the failure recurred after arriving to the destination. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where the same assessment was made. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 69,500.
Power train, Sep 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated the vehicle was making an abnormal sound while idling. The contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission was previously replaced due to the failure; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the flywheel, the sealant, the torque converter, and the transmission pump needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty and referred the contact to another dealer, Apple Ford (8800 Stanford Blvd, Columbia, MD 21045), where the same assessment was made. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Power train, Engine, Sep 23, 2024
Engine light was coming on in the car. Engine was shuttering and ticking/knocking on start up and then would stop after running for about a minute. Had it put on the scanner and the code said misfire on cylinder one/ignition coil. Had ignition coil on cylinder one replaced twice. 1st time replaced was the beginning of Sept and then the 2nd time on 9/18/24. Car would run fine for a week and then the engine light would come on again and the engine was doing the same thing. This time took the car to the Ford dealership. Service Supervisor said coolant was leaking into the cylinder and that the short block would need to be replaced. The car had 54,000 miles on it when these issues started and now the engine needs to be replaced at only 56,000 miles and I am without a car while having to wait for it to get fixed. Car could have stalled/stopped while driving and caused an accident. Engine will be at the dealership for review if needed.
Power train, Sep 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired at a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque convertor needed to be replaced. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle was shuddering. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer where it was diagnosed that the torque convertor might need to be replaced. The vehicle was left at the local dealer for further repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
Power train, Sep 16, 2024
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The torque converter is going out - this will be the 3rd time we will have replaced it. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The car sputters and does not shift correctly. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, at the Ford dealer each time. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? By Ford Dealer Mechanics. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Symptoms include sputtering and not seeming to shirt when accelerating.
Power train, Aug 1, 2024
TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING, WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN APPLYING GAS. SHIFTING UP AND DOWN WHILE DRIVING. BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE THAT I THINK IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT DISENGAGE. YOU HAVE TO PRESS THE VEHICLE BRAKES EXTREMELY HARD TO AND MAINTAIN THE PRESSURE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. IT IS LUCKY THAT I JUST CHANGE THE ROTORS AND BRAKES TWO WEEKS AGO.
Power train, Jun 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal sound emanating from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the torque converter. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 66,000.
Power train, May 8, 2024
Vehicle has been shaking as it accelerates normally on the lower speeds; however, even in the 40-65 mph range the vehicle will shake/sputter as you try to accelerate. When accelerating from a stopped position vehicle at times will seem to loose power while accelerating and you will have to take your foot off the gas and try again or even have to shut the vehicle off and turn it back on.
Power train, Apr 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle was pulled into a parking lot and there was a whining sound while attempting to accelerate. The “Transmission Fault" message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with cable bushing failure. The contact was notified of an unknown recall and the recall was repaired. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle from the dealer the failure recurred. The contact's husband towed the vehicle to a different dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.
Power train, Apr 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 30-35 MPH, the transmission was slipping. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to the shifter while in second and third gear. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.